Determining a region of interest to be rendered

Abstract

An embodiment is for determining a region of interest to be rendered in an ultrasound volume data set of an interior of an object under examination. In an embodiment, the method includes: determining a projection position in a two dimensional X-ray projection image of the object under examination, wherein a projection ray correlated to the projection position passes through the region of interest; and extracting a partial data set encompassed by the ultrasound volume data set using the projection position determined and based upon geometrical information relating to the X-ray 3D ultrasound unit.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for determining a region of interest to be rendered in an ultrasound volume data set of an interior of an object under examination, the data set having been acquired via an X-ray three dimensional (3D) ultrasound unit, the method comprising:
 determining a projection position in a two dimensional X-ray projection image of the object under examination, wherein a projection ray correlated to the projection position passes through the region of interest; and 
 extracting a partial data set encompassed by the ultrasound volume data set using the projection position determined and based upon geometrical information relating to the X-ray 3D ultrasound unit. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the partial data set at least includes partial data, correlated to regions of the object under examination penetrated by the projection ray. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the partial data set is implemented as a surface. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the partial data set includes data from a defined volume range. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the volume range encompasses a corridor through the object under examination extending in a first direction of the projection ray and includes a corridor width of no more than 2 cm. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the partial data set includes data from a defined volume range. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the volume range encompasses a corridor through the object under examination extending in a first direction of the projection ray and includes a corridor width of no more than 2 cm. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the volume range includes a corridor width of no more than 1 cm. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the partial data set includes partial data corresponding to a volume of no more than 3 cm 3 . 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the partial data set includes partial data corresponding to a volume of no more than 3 cm 3 . 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 10 , wherein the partial data set includes partial data corresponding to a volume of no more than 2 cm 3 . 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the partial data set includes partial data corresponding to a volume of no more than 1 cm 3 . 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the partial data set is analyzed via at least one of automatic detection and automatic classification of the region of interest. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the ultrasound volume data set and the two dimensional X-ray projection image have been acquired during a compression step of the object under examination. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the geometrical information includes at least one of: beam geometry, distance between X-ray source and detector, thickness of the object under examination, and distance between X-ray source and projection position. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the projection position is determined at least one of manually and automatically. 
     
     
       17. A method for rendering a region of interest, comprising:
 providing a number of views from a partial data set determined according to the method of  claim 1 ; and 
 rendering at least one view of the number of views provided. 
 
     
     
       18. A non-transitory computer program product storing a computer program, directly loadable into a storage device of an image processing device, including program sections for carrying out the method of  claim 1  when the computer program is executed in the image processing device. 
     
     
       19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program sections readable and executable by a processor to carry out the method of  claim 1  when the program sections are executed by the processor. 
     
     
       20. An image processing device for determining a region of interest to be rendered in an ultrasound volume data set of an inside of an object under examination, the data set having been acquired via an X-ray 3D ultrasound unit, the image processing device comprising:
 at least one processor to
 determine a projection position in a two dimensional X-ray projection image of the object under examination, wherein a projection ray correlated to the projection position passes through the region of interest and 
 extract a partial data set from the ultrasound volume data set using the projection position determined and based upon geometrical information relating to the X-ray 3D ultrasound unit. 
 
 
     
     
       21. An X-ray system, comprising:
 the image processing device of  claim 20 ; and 
 an X-ray 3D ultrasound unit including
 a source-detector arrangement designed to obtain an X-ray projection image of an object under examination, and 
 an ultrasound arrangement designed to acquire an ultrasound volume data set.